Discover Pietrasanta

If you would like to make art and architectural history the focus of your stay, Pietrasanta offers several different ways to explore them: sculptures in public spaces, museum collections and striking buildings. The town lies between the Apuan Alps and the sea and is considered the capital of artistic marbleworking. At the same time, it has developed into an open-air museum of contemporary art and sculpture. The Parco Internazionale della Scultura Contemporanea features more than 80 monumental works in public spaces.

Sculpture in public spaces

Public spaces are therefore an essential part of the art experience. On a walk through Pietrasanta, you can see, among other works, Il Guerriero by Fernando Botero and Centauro by Igor Mitoraj; both sculptures are permanently installed. The works provide specific points of reference on your walk within the larger collection. If you would like to explore the art through the artists’ names, Botero and Mitoraj offer two concrete starting points; the more than 80 works also invite you to discover a broader ensemble.

Museums and collections

The Museo Igor Mitoraj offers a different focus. Its collection includes sculptures in marble, bronze and resin, as well as jewellery. This takes the view beyond individual marble sculptures: material and object type provide two ways to explore the collection. Marble connects the museum holdings with Pietrasanta’s standing as the capital of artistic marbleworking, while bronze and resin broaden the range of materials.

The Museo Archeologico Versiliese Bruno Antonucci was established around archaeological finds discovered in the area from the 1960s onwards. Its origins give the archaeological perspective a concrete connection to finds in the area, setting it apart from the open-air museum’s focus on contemporary art. This gives you two different questions to consider: What materials are represented in an art collection, and what finds gave rise to an archaeological museum?

Duomo and Campanile

The buildings span different periods. The Duomo di San Martino in Pietrasanta was built in the 14th century. Its interior includes a 17th-century marble pulpit assembled from works by various artists. The Campanile del Duomo is an unfinished 16th-century structure, 36 metres high. The dates reveal the building and its fittings’ history across several periods: the 14th-century Duomo is followed by the 16th-century Campanile, while the pulpit inside dates from the 17th century. This makes it possible to distinguish the church, its fittings and the bell tower by period.

Pietrasanta and the Via Francigena

Stage 26 of the Via Francigena runs from Massa to Camaiore through Pietrasanta. If the Via Francigena is part of your travel plans, this gives you a specific stage that passes through the town. This route is a different way to orient yourself from art and architectural history: it places Pietrasanta on a route with Massa and Camaiore as its endpoints, while the sculptures and museums guide your cultural exploration.

If you are looking for a hotel in Pietrasanta, you can use these differences to help choose your destination: art in public spaces, museum collections and architectural history each offer a different focus; the Via Francigena stage may also fit into your travel plans.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Marina Di Pietrasanta, Strettoia Di Pietrasanta, Querceta, Vignone, Vagli Sotto, Forte Dei Marmi, Montecarlo, Sillano.

For the broader travel overview: Lucca.